UCLA
Maryland
UCLA Softball Dominates on Opening Day
February 04, 2000 | Softball
Feb. 4, 2000
TAMPA, Fla. - The UCLA softball team started its 2000 campaign in impressive fashion on Friday, defeating Maryland 9-0 and Tennessee, 10-0. Both games were completed after five innings due to the "Eight Run-Rule," where a game is terminated if one team leads by eight or more runs following the completion of five full innings.
In the opener against Tennessee, junior pitcher Courtney Dale tossed her first career no-hitter and the 60th no-hitter in UCLA history, striking out six batters and allowing one walk in five innings pitched. It was the second straight season that has started with a UCLA no-hitter on opening day, as Amanda Freed no-hit Santa Clara in her first collegiate game on Feb. 5, 1999.
Four Bruin freshmen started the game, and three earned hits in their first collegiate at-bat, as Toria Auelua and Monique Mejia both singled their first time to the plate and Tairia Mims hit a three-run home run in her first at-bat as a Bruin. All three of the freshmen earned hits in the top of the second inning against Maryland, and Mims' homer gave the Bruins their first three runs of the 2000 season.
The Bruins piled on two more runs in each of the next three innings, and took a 9-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth. Dale retired three batters with one strikeout in the bottom of the fifth to earn the win and complete the no-hitter. Senior second baseman Lyndsey Klein also homered for the Bruins,k hitting a two-run shot in the fourth inning.
In the second game of the day, Amanda Freed took to the circle and pitched a two-hit shutout in the 10-0 UCLA win. Mims hit her second three-run home run of the day in the third inning against the Lady Vols, part of an eight-run, nine-hit inning for UCLA. Freed completed her day in the circle with eight strikeouts and no walks in five innings pitched.
Offensively, Auelua hit .833 on the day, going 5-for-6 with three runs scored, one RBI and a double. Klein was also impressive, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, three walks, one double, a home run and four RBI.
UCLA takes to the diamond at noon Eastern Time on Saturday, squaring off against host school South Florida. The Bruins will play a second game on the day as well, with the time and opponent determined by the outcome of pool play.
